Preuss named top 'transformative' school in U.S.

The Preuss School UCSD has been named the top "transformative school" in the U.S for the second year in a row by Newsweek magazine, recognized for preparing low-income and first-generation students for college.

The charter school for middle and high school students also was ranked at the top of all San Diego County high schools and ranked 30th overall in the nation by the magazine, which published its list of “America’s Best High Schools” on Monday.

As Newsweek put it, “It’s no secret that schools in poor neighborhoods often struggle. But some achieve a remarkable amount in relation to the poverty of their communities. Newsweek calls these Transformative Schools, and for the second year in a row, we have created a list of the top 25… The purpose of the list is to highlight schools where enthusiasm is the only defining metric.”

To compile the list, editors took the scores from Newsweek’s top 1,000 schools and factored in the percentage of students who qualified for free- or reduced-price lunches.

Preuss has a 100 percent graduation rate and 100 percent of its students qualify for free- or reduced-price lunches. The school is jointly chartered by UC San Diego and the San Diego Unified School District and has 816 students in grades 6-12.

“It’s our mission at The Preuss School to increase social mobility and empower students, many of whom rise above countless obstacles to become the first generation in their families who will receive a college education,” school principal Scott Barton said in a statement. “Our school provides an environment of high expectations where students are continually encouraged to develop a greater sense of confidence and pride in themselves and their academic accomplishments.”